1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tilt steering device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a tilt steering device for a forklift capable of adjusting a position of a steering wheel by tilting in accordance with the height and driving posture of a driver. The tilt steering device can be fixed at any optional position by moving a steering column in the forward and rearward directions about the base of the steering device as a fulcrum.
As shown in FIG. 6, a steering device 21 includes a steering wheel 23 and a steering column 24 each disposed above an instrument panel 22 and the steering column 24 is used to hold a steering shaft (not shown) connected to the steering wheel 23. A meter box 25 is mounted on the steering column 24. A rubber boot 26 covers the space between the lower portion of the meter box 25 and the instrument panel 22. The front portion of the rubber boot 26 is fixed to the front portion of the instrument panel 22 and the rear portion of the rubber boot 26 comes into contact with the rear portion of the instrument panel 22.
When the meter box 25 is moved forward and rearward in association with the steering device 21 in a tilt operation, the rubber boot 26 is deflected and deformed in accordance with the movement of the meter box 25 due to a bellows shape of the rubber boot 26.
With this arrangement, the rubber boot 26 seals the lower portion of the meter box 25 and protects accommodating parts such as harnesses disposed to the lower portion of the meter box 25 and in the instrument panel 22 from foreign substances such as water, dust and the like.
However, since the number of the accommodating parts disposed to the lower portion of the meter box 25 and in the instrument panel 22 has been increasing, the available space; in the portion covered with the rubber boot 26 is decreasing. Thus, when the rubber boot 26 is used, there is a risk that the inside surface of the rubber boot 26 interferes with-the accommodating parts due to the deformation of the rubber boot 26 during in a tilt operation. As a result, the tilt operation angle of the steering device 21 cannot be set to a large value. Further, a problem arises in that since the rubber boot 26 is greatly deformed by the interference of the rubber boot 26 with the accommodating parts, the accommodating parts covered with the rubber boot 26 are exposed and foreign substances such as water, dust and the like intrude thereinto.